The Official Argentina WC thread. Including the best player in the world.

[Rafalution]

Following scraping into the automatic qualification places, can Argentina up their game and claim the greatest prize in football? On paper they appear easily one of the best team in the competition, but will Maradona’s inexperience shine through, or will the talent in the feet of one Lionel Messi be enough to overcome all obstacles?

A plethora of choices up front, from the manager’s son in law Augero, to on form Tevez (more goals than Owen, y’know), via Higuain and Milito.

In defence it’s another matter however, with experience in abundance but pace sadly lacking, the threat of being hit on the counter attack looms large.

Last squad (vs Germany, 3rd March)

	
No. 	Pos. 	Player 			Caps 	Goals 	Club 
18 	GK 	Mariano Andújar	 	4 	0  	Catania 
22 	GK 	Sergio Romero 	 	5 	0  	AZ 

4 	DF 	Nicolás Burdisso  	28 	2  	Roma 
2 	DF 	Martín Demichelis  	25 	1  	Bayern Munich 
6 	DF 	Gabriel Heinze  	63 	2  	Marseille 
15 	DF 	Nicolás Otamendi  	6 	0  	Vélez Sársfield 
3 	DF 	Clemente Rodríguez  	11 	1  	Estudiantes 
13 	DF 	Walter Samuel  		54 	4  	Internazionale 

5 	MF 	Mario Bolatti  		4 	1  	Fiorentina 
21 	MF 	Jesús Dátolo  		3 	2  	Olympiacos 
7 	MF 	Ángel Di María  	7 	0  	Benfica 
17 	MF 	Jonás Gutiérrez  	15 	1  	Newcastle United 
14 	MF 	Javier Mascherano  	56 	2  	Liverpool 
20 	MF 	Javier Pastore  	0 	0  	Palermo 
8 	MF 	Juan Sebastián  	69 	9  	Estudiantes 

16 	FW 	Sergio Agüero  		20 	7  	Atlético Madrid 
9 	FW 	Gonzalo Higuaín  	4 	2  	Real Madrid 
10 	FW	Lionel Messi  		44 	13  	Barcelona 
19 	FW 	Diego Milito  		20 	4  	Internazionale 
11 	FW 	Carlos Tévez 	 	51 	8  	Manchester City 

Fixtures

Friendlies

May 24, 2010 - Argentina vs Canada – Buenos Aires,

May 29, 2010 - United Arab Emirates - Argentina - Dubai

Group B

[b]Date			Time	Match				Broadcaster	Location[/b]

Saturday 12.06.10	1500	Argentina v Nigeria	 	BBC	 	Johannesburg Ellis Park

Thursday 17.06.10	1230	Argentina v South Korea		ITV	 	Johannesburg Soccer City

Tuesday 22.06.10	1930	Greece v Argentina	 	BBC	 	Polkowane

[el sid]

See them scoring atleast 10 in the group stages

[skybluedave]

Stupidly good forward line that.

[Kill Rock Stars]

that team is perfectly suited to play 2-3-5

[Micado]

Think the weakest link will be GK for them.

[Puevlo]

International scoring records seem pretty poor.

[el sid]

Can't believe Higuain has got only 4 caps

[Kill Rock Stars]

wonder if higuain wishes he'd chosen france now

[Astafjevs]

If he plays the players in the right formation, they can easily win this competition.

[brett.spurs]

                                         Andújar

                                         Samuel

                          Mascherano      Lucho       Cambiasso

               Messi                                                 Di María

                         Tévez      Agüero     Higuaín      Milito

Clearly the way forward

[TomHAVFC]

International scoring records seem pretty poor.

Just what I thought. 8 goals in 51 appearances for Tevez is nearly a bad a record as Heskey's isn't it?

[G-Man11]

Aguero to be player of the tournament . If he can make it into the team that is .

[Leppard]

I like brett's formation there

[G-Man11]

I like brett's formation there

Wouldn't it be better to scrap Samuel and put another midfielder in? He would just be playing everyone onside in that formation .

[Kryston]

Is Oscar Ustari injured or something at Getafe?

Not really upbeat about the pair of goalkeepers stated here.

[Dr_dR3]

Why on earth does that clown call up Gutierrez and Bolatti but not Lucho and Cambiasso?

[Rafalution]

Cambiasso played in about half the qual games by the looks of it, no idea why he doesn't like Gonzalez

[G-Man11]

Cambiasso played in about half the qual games by the looks of it, no idea why he doesn't like Gonzalez

Pretty certain they were all before Maradonna as manager and that he hasn't been called up since. For some reason he just doesn't want to call up Cambiasso .

[Rafalution]

Ah right. Really would be happy for a lot of players if they won it, but would hate all the praise Maradona would get

[Astafjevs]

Cambiasso was called up recently, for the first time by Maradona, for one of their friendlies.

His loss if he wants to deprive his team of their best central midfielder.

[djvandyke]

Tim Vickery was on about Argentina playing with 4 center backs these days. What is the story behind this?

[Crazy_T]

otamendi - demichelis - samuel - heinze

he actually put a reasonable team and formation (for maradona) out for their last game, but if they switch to 4-3-3 I think they'd stand a much better chance

[Juve4EVA]

I'm guessing because of such embarrassing games such as the Bolivia one when they couldn't stop conceding.

[Astafjevs]

otamendi - demichelis - samuel - heinze

he actually put a reasonable team and formation (for maradona) out for their last game, but if they switch to 4-3-3 I think they'd stand a much better chance

I agree.

Sergio Romero; Otamendi, Demichelis, Samuel, Heinze; Verón, Mascherano, Cambiasso; Messi, Higuaín, Di María

Easily a World Cup winning team. I think Javier Zanetti should be at right-back (or at least in the squad).

So many options for changing a game too. Can take off Verón/Cambiasso and bring Tévez or Agüero on and switch to 4-2-3-1 if they need something more attacking, or are chasing a goal. Diego Milito can replace Higuaín if they need more of a reference up-front.

4-3-1-2 would work really well too. Either way, so many options it's silly.

[Crazy_T]

same, but I'd maybe swap verón and di maría. he has options for anything.

romero

otamendi

demichelis

samuel

heinze

cambiasso

mascherano

lucho/verón/banega

messi

milito

higuaín

[Eastwood]

Anybody have the full list of the 85 players or whatever that were used in qualifying? I tried looking on Google the other day but couldn't find it.

[Barry Cartman]

You didn't look very hard

Has Current Squad and Recent Callups

[Eastwood]

No, you're right, I didn't. Nice one anyway.

[aggressive minor]

Any chance of Riquelme going? Love watching him play.

And yeah, Tevez's scoring record is shocking.

[Noob21]

You didn't look very hard

Has Current Squad and Recent Callups

A thousand LOLS @ the recent call-up list

Maradona has a wealth of talent and no clue

[PMLF]

Any chance of Riquelme going? Love watching him play.

Riquelme has almost no chance since his relationship with Maradona isn't very good.

[Kryston]

Milito just scored the winner for the Copa Italia.

Lucho Gonzalez scored a goal to help Marseille win the French championship. (Heinze found the net too in the game)

Tevez is the most dangerous player for Man City against Spurs the other night.

Higuain scored once again against Mallorca, now trails only Messi (who scored 4 in 2 games) in the scoring chart in La Liga.

Seriously with this kind of ammunition up front, Argentina should really do better

[Fausto]

how Maradona can be so blind, Javier Zanetti should be in the team and the capitan WTF is Veron, Palermo and all thoose players in the team, well for me my starting 11

Romero, Otamendi Demichelis Samuel Heinze, Cambiasso Zanetti Macherano, Di Maria Milito Messi

[cms186]

how Maradona can be so blind, Javier Zanetti should be in the team and the capitan WTF is Veron, Palermo and all thoose players in the team, well for me my starting 11

Romero, Otamendi Demichelis Samuel Heinze, Cambiasso Zanetti Macherano, Di Maria Milito Messi

you want 3 defensive midfielders? jesus

fwiw, i would like to see a midfield of Cambiasso/Mascherano in the holding position, Di Maria on the left wing, Banega/Lucho/Veron in the playmaker role and Messi floating around on the right but in FM terms given a Free Role and then Milito and Higuain/Aguero

[Fausto]

Well with thoose mosters in front i guess you need no more offensive:D:thup:

[PMLF]

Maradona hinted that Palermo may be in the final list of 23 players.

He said: I never doubted Palermo.

He also talked about some other players, like Cambiasso, Pozo, Gabbarini and Zanetti.

[samba23]

Argentina provisional 30.

AGÜERO, Sergio Club Atlético de Madrid (España)

ANDUJAR, Mariano Calcio Catania (Italia)

BLANCO, Sebastián CA Lanús (Argentina)

BOLATTI, Mario ASF Fiorentina (Italia)

BURDISSO, Nicolás AS Roma FC (Italia)

COLOCCINI, Fabricio Newcastle United FC (Inglaterra)

DÁTOLO, Jesús Olympiacos CFP (Grecia)

DEMICHELIS, Martin Bayern Münich (Alemania)

DI MARIA, Ángel Benfica FC (Portugal)

GARCE, Ariel CA Colón de Santa Fé (Argentina)

GUTIERREZ, Jonás Newcastle United FC (Inglaterra)

HEINZE, Gabriel Olympique Marseille (Francia)

HIGUAIN, Gonzalo Real Madrid (España)

INSAURRALDE, Juan Manuel CA Newell’s Old Boys (Argentina)

LAVEZZI, Ezequiel SC Sportiva Napoli (Italia)

MASCHERANO, Javier Liverpool FC (Inglaterra)

MERCIER, Juan AA Argentinos Juniors (Argentina)

MESSI, Lionel Barcelona FC (España)

MILITO, Diego Internazionale FC (Italia)

OTAMENDI, Nicolás CA Vélez Sarsfield (Argentina)

PALERMO, Martin CA Boca Juniors (Argentina)

PASTORE, Javier Citta di Palermo Calcio (Italia)

POZO, Diego CA Colón de Santa Fé (Argentina)

RODRIGUEZ, Clemente CA Estudiantes de La Plata (Argentina)

RODRIGUEZ, Maximiliano Liverpool FC (Inglaterra)

ROMERO, Sergio AZ Alkmaar (Holanda)

SAMUEL, Walter Internazionale FC (Italia)

SOSA, José Bayern Münich (Alemania)

TEVEZ, Carlos Manchester City (Inglaterra)

VERON, Juan Sebastián CA Estudiantes de la Plata (Argentina)

A lot of surprises there.

Players who have missed out - Zanetti, Cambiasso, G. Milito, Aimar, Banega, Riquelme, Carizzo, Ansaldi, Saviola, Zabaleta, Schiavi, Papa, Gago, Zarate, Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez, Garay, E. Insua. I'm sure i've missed others.

Big surprises - Blanco, Garce, Insaurralde, Mercier

Small surprises - Bolatti, Coloccini, Datolo, Palermo, Pastore, Pozo, C. Rodriguez, Sosa.

9 Argentina based players selected

[PMLF]

I really hope Palermo makes it into their final 23, and if not, I would happily give them all our strikers to get him.

[Astafjevs]

Haha, awful squad. How he can leave out some of those players I have no idea.

And what is Lavezzi doing in that squad? He's been so average this season.

[Crazy_T]

what does he have against lucho? seriously.

[PMLF]

Lavezzi is probably going to miss the final 23 player list, Garcé, Insaurralde, Dátolo, Blanco, Maxi Rodríguez and Mercier are expected to miss the final list as well.

[Dan_rm]

Maradona trolling the World Cup.

[samba23]

The logical 7 to miss out would be,

Blanco, Garce, Insaurralde, mercier, Sosa, Lavezzi and Palermo (sorry Paulo)

But when has Maradona ever been logical?

[PMLF]

Palermo is the kind of player that decide when you need him to do so, these WC Quals are evidence of that too.

I can understand though not taking him to the WC as Argentina do have many other good strikers.

[yovan]

Messi was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy today.

Iniesta was back, Villa was flirting with him...

[Helarxe]

Maradona setting himself up to be a Brazilian football hero by ruining the WC chances of the best generation Argentina ever had.

[Helarxe]

also: yovan \o/

[Noob21]

Argentina provisional 30.

Big surprises - Blanco, Garce, Insaurralde, Mercier

Small surprises - Bolatti, Coloccini, Datolo, Palermo, Pastore, Pozo, C. Rodriguez, Sosa.

9 Argentina based players selected

Jose Sosa (Bayern's on loan MF) was probably someone Maradona picked because he ran out of names that he could remember to throw in.

He hardly played any matches this season

As for Ansaldi, I'm really surprised he wasn't picked considering the amount of fringe FBs he picked. Maradona probably didn't want to get his fat self to Russia

[nistelrooy_uk_10]

haha how come cambiasso is left out? and lucho.

He really must be insane to leave out some of those players

[PMLF]

Jose Sosa (Bayern's on loan MF) was probably someone Maradona picked because he ran out of names that he could remember to throw in.

He played 16 games in the Clausura and 7 in Libertadores.

Unless you mean at Bayern, but that hardly matters now as he is on loan to Estudiantes.